Apparatus for worsted drawing



W. B. GOODSPEED Sept. 7, 1943.

Filed Sept. 14. 1940 APPARATUS FOR WORSTED DRAWING 'INVENTOR WILLIS B.GOODSPEED ATFZQNEY Patented Sept. 7 1943 APPARATUS FOR WORSTED DRAWINGWillis B. Goodspeed, Bristol, R. L, 'assignor to Collins & AikmanCorporation, Philadelphia Pa., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationSeptember 14', 1940, Serial No. 356,7 91

10 Claims.

, This invention relates to an apparatus and to a method for applyingdraft to worsted slivers while controlling the movement; of theindividual fibers within the sliver.

More particularly, the invention contemplates as within its scope theapplication of a lateral System. In addition to these systems, attemptshave been made to continuously reduce slivers to worsted yarns withporcupine combing units in multiple stage drafting, as set forth in theUnited States patent to Knowles No. 2,127,410, which is mentioned asbeing illustrative of prior efforts to avoid the multiplicity of stepsor machines of the more conventional systems.

According to the present improvements, a

means and method have been provided which involve relatively simple butefficient devices to be used in combination with either single ormultiple stage drafting units. The parts between the draft rollspreferably do not contain positively driven parts and are readilydetachable so that changes of these partsaccording to the stock beingrun can readily be made.

It is well understoodthat worsted yarns contain short, medium and longfibers and that an important difficulty of control results from thepresence of the short fibers and from their tendency to form slubs inthe final product. This difliculty and tendency has been overcome by thepresent improvements, as pressure on the outside of the sliver for asubstantial portion of the drafting area apparently creates aninter-fiber surface friction within the sliver, and hence a relativelyproportional movement of fibers within the entire sliver proper to thenumber of fibers being actually pulled forward by the front nip rolls.In this way accumulation of short fibers in any one place is avoided anda uniform product substantially free of slubs produced.

When the product produced is light, such as a final yarn or roving, itis preferred to use a relatively high single draft, or in the case ofmultiple stage drafting a relatively high draft in the last stage,because this facilitates the provision of the inter-fiber surfacefriction above mentioned.

Various means may produce desirable results, according to theseimprovements, but the use of sliver shaping devices made of smooth sheetsteel or other finished or polished material is especially suitable.

The control units may have their opposed sides correspondingly slottedat spaced in ervals to provide a bearing surface or support for theshaft of a smooth or fluted roller fixed to or loosely mounted thereonand resting on the sliver being processed. The rollers lend flexibilityto the mechanism and a wider range of stock can satisfactorily beprocessed than if an elongated rectangular, circular or other tube wereused, .or fioating of the rollers were inhibited as by a close fittingfixed bearing surrounding the shaft.

Refinements, including lengthwise tapered control units, to increasethe. uniformity of control may be used and are especially desirable whenthe stock contains a relatively high percentage of short fiber.

The drafting rolls are set apart to provide a ratch consistent with goodpractice and to avoid breakage of an excessive number of fibers,although the control features herein set forth prevent the ends of suchbroken fibers from flying out away from the body of the sliver.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which effectivelycontrols the fibers of untwisted worsted slivers and creates aninterfiber surface friction substantially uniformly in single ormultiple stage drafting.

Another object is to eliminate many of the steps and machines common topresent day worsted spinning and to substitute therefor sliver controlmethods and devices which shape the sliver in the drafting stage orstages and create an inter-fiber frictional resistance by pressureapplied to each outer portion of the sliver as it moves through thedrafting area or areas.

Another object is to provide a sliver control unit which is easy tothread.

Another object is 'to maintain the untwisted worsted sliverssubstantially rectangular in cross section and in compression as theymove through single or multiple stage drafting devices.

Another object is to provide cleaning means for the pressure rollers.

Another object. is to provide a control unit for untwisted worstedfibers which comprises a suitable channel and 'a cooperating roll orrolls.

Another object is to provide a control unit for untwisted worsted fiberswhich comprises a suitable channel and floating or yieldingly mountedrolls which rest on and are turned by the sliver being processed throughthe machine.

Another object is to provide an effective and economical method ofproducing exceedingly high drafts in the production of worsted yarns.

Another object is to provide a relatively high single draft or high laststage draft while controlling .the sliver and reducing it to small sizefor high or low twisting, as in final rovings or in final spinning. .jt

Another object is to reduce the number of steps involved in productionof yarns by the conventional systems.

These and other objects will be manifest from a consideration -of thefollowing description, claims and drawing, in which,

Figure I is a partly diagrammatic elevational view, partly in section,of a stage draft arrangement incorporating a preferred embodiment of myimprovements.

Figure II is a detail assembly of the control unit nearest the frontrolls of Figure I.

Referring to Figure I of the drawing, wherein an inclined fram It! issupported at a suitable height on support II, it will be seen that cansl2, l3 and M are receptacles for the slivers I5, l6 and I! which are fedor, drawn over roller |-8 on shaft l9 secured to bracket on frame H).The untwisted slivers l5, l6 and I1 converge at flared channel 22 andare compressed by the sides of the channel and rollers 23, 24, whichhave projecting shafts 25, 26 to engage vertical slots 21, 28 of thechannel 22. Suitable loosely mounted brushes 29 contact the top of thefreely rotatable rollers 23 and 24 to keep them free of loose fibers andto avoid the possibility of lapping of a portion of the sliver orslivers 30 passing through the channel 22. A detachable top plate 3|conveniently closes the top of the slots 21, 28 to prevent dislodgmentof the brushes and rollers.

All the channel roller assembly units are aligned with the nips of thedrawing rolls for a substantially straight line movement of the stockthrough the several draft stages. In general, each unit preferably has aplurality of rollers. The number and weight of the rollers may be variedaccording to the particular worsted blend and the size of the stockbeing run. The channel slots may be inclined or vertical throughoutbothtypes being shown for purposes of illus tration.

The pairs of draft rolls 32,33, 34 and 35 are driven at progressivelyhigher speeds and the intermediate pairs 33 and 34 function both asfront and rear rolls for the stock being drawn. These draft rolls are ofconventional design and are supported by brackets 36, 31, 38 and 39,which are adjustable lengthwise of the frame In so that the.

ratch may be varied. The lower rolls of each pair are usually of flutedconstruction and the upper rolls are of the usual type and are removablefrom the slots of their bearing brackets 36, 31, 38 and 39.

The control units 40, 40 and 40" between the pairs of rolls are similarto each other and to the arrangement described in connection with channel 22 and the cooperating parts and, as will be seen from Figure II,comprise a channel 42 having a base 43 adjustably secured at 44 to theinclined frame H1. The upper portion 45 of the control unit is hinged asat 46 about pin 41 and fastened to plate portion 48 by crew 49. For

threading the machine the screw 4 9 is backed oil or removed and theupper portion' 45 pivots about pin 41, whereupon the stock may bepositioned so as to be compressed by the rollers 50 and 5| when thecontrol unit is secured in operative position.

The rollers 50 and 5| have projections 52 and 53 on each end resting forfree rotating movement in the slots 54 of the control unit. The members55 and 56 have T-shaped ends and support bristles or brushes 51 whichrest on the rollers 50 and 5| and move freely up and down therewith. Anysuitable cover, such as a snap clamp or secured plate may be used ifdesired to prevent the brushes and rollers from falling out when theupper portion is turned far back about its pivot 4'1.

While my illustrated embodiment discloses a hinged portion, it is to beunderstood that this feature is not essential to my broad concept. Forexample, satisfactory results have been obtained .by the use of fixedchannels, completely open at the top, and merely slotted to receive therollers and brushes. In this case the threading is done by removing therollers and re-inserting them after the stock is positioned within thechannel.

In Figure II the stock of untwisted worsted sliver 30 is shownrelatively large to illustrate the compressive and shaping action of theside walls of the channel as well as of the base plate 48 and rollers 50and 5|. The sliver is entirely surrounded by these parts and thecompression is kept uniform throughout the cross-section of sliver bythe movements of the weight rollers 5|] and 5 I.

The upper or channel forming portion 45 is preferably chamfered andflared as shown at 58 so that the unit can operate very close to the nipof the rolls and to avoid presenting a square shoulder to the sides ofthe untwisted sliver 30. The sliver 30 is not folded but compressed onits sides as it moves under the rollers 50 and 5|.

The control units of the first and second drafting stage have beengenerally depicted as 40 and 40'. Each is shown as having three rollers,but in other respects they are the same as the forward unit illustratedin detail in Figure II and need no detailed description.

Complex fiber blends, including several varieties of wool, .mohair,acetate and other fibers, have been drawn on the device. For example,satisfactory results have been obtained by taking two slivers of such amake-up having a combined weight of 704 drams per 40 yards. The sliverswere combined and subject to successive drafts of 3.6, 4.5 and 8.7 or atotal draft of 141 before being twisted on bobbin 59 by flyer mechanism60.

The rollers 23 and 24 may be made of metal and approximate one inch indiameter. The control units are progressively more narrow in thesuccessive stages as it is apparent that the cross section of the stockis reduced in proportion to the previous amount of draft the sliver wassubjected to. The weight of the rollers 23 and 24 will depend on thecharacter and length of ers 50 and constitute a yielding cover whichcompresses the slivers and maintains auniform pressure at all times.vThe base plate portion 48 of the control unit preferably extends themajor portion of the distance between the rolls to support the sliverand very close to the nip of the front drawing rolls of each stage. Thisbase, together with the side walls of the upper portion 45, constitutesa channel.

Having described a preferred embodiment of my invention and wishing tobe limited only by the scope of the following, I claim:

1. In an apparatus for attenuating slivers, the combination of pairs ofdrawing rolls arranged in series to provide draft stages through whichthe sliver being drawn is passed as it travels through the draft stages,sliver supporting and compressing means positioned in the draft stages,said supporting and compressing means comprising a stationary supportextending the major portion of the distance between the pairs of rollsof each draft stage,and a yielding cover which together with the supportproper completely surrounds a portion of the path of the sliverin eachstage, whereby said support and cover will successively engage theentire periphery of the sliver as it is processed, and an inter-fiberfrictional resistance will be created within the sliver in each draftstage. 1

2. A drafting device for worsted slivers which includes a set of backfeed rolls, a set of forward drawing rolls, and sliver control meanspositioned between the back and forward rolls, said control meansconsisting of a suitably mounted stationary channel sliver supportingmember which extends the major portion of the distance between the pairsof rolls and through which a sliver moving between the sets of rolls maypass, and means cooperating with and extending into and across theinside width of said channel to exert a yielding pressure on a sliverbeing processed, whereby the entire periphery will be successivelyengaged within the draft stage and aninter-fiber frictional resistancecreated within the sliver.

3. A drafting device for worsted slivers which includes a set of backfeed rolls, a set of forward drawing rolls and sliver control meanspositioned between the two sets of rolls,.said control means consistingof a suitably mounted stationary channel sliver supporting member whichextends the major portion of the distance between the pair of rolls andthrough which a sliver moving between the sets of rolls may pass, andfreely mounted rollers extending into the channel groove and across thewidth of the groove to exert a yielding pressure on the sliver as it isbein processed, whereby a portion of the entire periphery of the sliverwill be engaged within the draft stage and an inter-fiber frictionalresistance created within the sliver.

4. In the combination set forth in claim 1, further characterized inthat the yielding covers comprise a roller.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in thatthestationary supports are progressively narrower three-sided channelmembers.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in thatthe stationary supports are progressively narrower three-sided channelmembers, and that the yielding covers comprise a roller which isapproximately the width of the cooperating channels.

7. In an apparatus for attenuating slivers, the combination of a pair offeed rolls and a pair of drawing rolls arranged to provide a draft stagefor drawing slivers, sliver supporting and compressing means positionedin the draft stage, said supporting and compressing means comprising astationary support extending the major portion of the distance betweenthe pairs of rolls of the draft stage, and a yeilding cover, whichtogether with the support completely surrounds a portion of the path ofthe sliver in the draft stage, whereby said support and cover willsuccessively engage the entire periphery of the sliver as it isprocessed, and an inter-fiber frictional resistance will be createdwithin the sliver in the draft stage.

8. In the combination set forth in claim 7, further characterized inthat the yielding cover comprises a roller.

9. An apparatus as setforth in claim 7, further characterized in thatthe stationary support is a three-sided channel member.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7, further characterized in thatthe stationary support is a three-sided channel member and that theyielding cover comprises a roller member which is approximately thewidth of the channel.

WILLIS B. GOODSPEED.

